§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will indicate what steps are being taken to prevent prescription, in Britain, of the Copper 7 IUD and other contraceptive devices by drug companies wishing to test such products before making them available on the United States market; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorThere is no question of pharmaceutical companies or manufacturers, whether based in the United544W Kingdom or overseas, themselves prescribing licensed products for patients. Medical treatments, including the use of devices such as IUDs, can be prescribed only by qualified medical practitioners on the basis of their clinical judgment of the patient's individual needs.
All clinical trials of IUDs in the United Kingdom are now subject to the provisions of the Medicines Act 1968 in which a clinical trial certificate, or exemption from holding a clinical trial certificate, must be obtained by the manufacturer, unless a registered medical practitioner has initiated the trial, in which circumstances he takes full responsibility for its conduct.